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Whether Kevin Durant will end up on the fourth franchise of his career remains the biggest storyline of the NBA offseason, but the future Hall of Famer believes switching jerseys has done nothing to hurt his legacy.

Durant responded to a tweet from someone who said switching teams so often "is kinda tainting your legacy" and said, "It's all a matter of perspective my g. U say it's tainted, I say it's never been stronger."

It's impossible to argue that Durant's legacy isn't strong.

His resume includes two championships, two NBA Finals MVPs, a league MVP, a Rookie of the Year, four scoring titles, 10 All-NBA selections and 12 All-Star nods. He is one of the best players in league history and is a matchup nightmare because of his size and ability to score from seemingly anywhere.

However, detractors will point out that Durant's two championships came with the loaded Golden State Warriors, which just so happened to be the same team that eliminated his Oklahoma City Thunder in a hard-fought seven-game Western Conference Finals in 2016.

Golden State was a super team and may have won the championship all three years he was there if he and Klay Thompson didn't suffer injuries during the NBA Finals loss to the Toronto Raptors.

Durant looked to be a part of another super team with the Brooklyn Nets playing alongside Kyrie Irving and James Harden, but things did not work out as planned. Irving was sidelined for much of the past season because he was unvaccinated against COVID-19, and Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Now Durant could be on the move again.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Durant told Nets governor Joe Tsai that the team needs to either trade him or fire the combination of head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks.

The hostility between Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets may just be getting started.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Durant's next step in forcing a trade may be holding out of training camp.

"A week ago, if you had asked me, 'Will Kevin Durant hold out of training camp if he's not traded?' I would have been like, 'Ehh, I can't see it.' Now I can see it. That is what we're headed toward," Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast.

Durant told Nets governor Joe Tsai he wanted a trade in late June. The organization has been moving at a glacial pace in the weeks since, setting an understandably massive price tag for the 12-time All-Star.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Durant met again with Tsai earlier this month and said he wanted coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks fired if the team wanted him back next season. Tsai publicly responded to the report on Twitter, saying he has no plans to acquiesce to Durant's demands.

Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.

— Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) August 8, 2022

Allowing word of such a drastic demand to leak publicly was likely a power play on Durant's part.

Given the lack of tangible movement on the trade front, Durant's best avenue to force a move is to make the situation as toxic as possible. Publicly demanding the removal of a general manager and a coach is one of the biggest plays a player has in his hand.

Should the Nets fail to make a trade before camp, Nash and every player on the roster will be forced to answer constant questions about Durant's desire for the coach's removal. If Durant shows up, the spotlight will be on every interaction between the player and coach. If he holds out, Durant will be the focus in a different way.

Regardless, the situation will be a circus. After the complete mess that was the 2021-22 season in Brooklyn, it's likely every member of upper management wants a more harmonious group next season.

Durant seems determined to make that as difficult as possible. It's a strategy that's going to invite significant public scorn, but it may be his best bet at getting out of Brooklyn before the season begins.

Despite the way their time as teammates with the Brooklyn Nets ended, Kevin Durant and Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden are reportedly back on good terms.

During an appearance on NBA Today, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne suggested there are no hard feelings between KD and Harden even though Harden essentially forced his way out of Brooklyn last season:

"From what I'm told, the two former teammates are back on good terms now despite [James] Harden forcing his way out of Brooklyn."@ramonashelburne on the Sixers' reported interest in trading for Kevin Durantpic.twitter.com/RI9dUP9Noq

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 12, 2022

Shelburne noted that Durant and Harden were recently backstage together at a Travis Scott concert in London, signaling that any potential issues have been patched up.

News of Durant and Harden being on the same page comes after SNY's Ian Begley reported this week that there are "high-ranking members" of the 76ers organization who have "felt strongly" about talking to the Nets about a trade involving Durant.

Begley added that Durant views Philly as a "welcome landing spot," meaning there could be some legs to the rumors.

In June, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t ESPN's Tim Bontemps) reported that Durant's business manager, Rich Kleiman, said KD had requested a trade out of Brooklyn and the Nets agreed to work with him on finding a trade.

At the time, Wojnarowski noted that the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat were Durant's two preferred trade destinations.

For whatever reason, nothing has worked out on those fronts yet, and there hasn't been any movement regarding Durant's trade market.

The Suns matching the Indiana Pacers' offer sheet for center Deandre Ayton may have thrown a wrench into their plans to trade for Durant since Ayton may have been a centerpiece of that deal and now can't be traded until during the season.

Meanwhile, the Heat are perhaps hesitant to mess with their depth or to trade away key players like Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and others.

The Sixers would almost certainly have to part with a rising star at guard in Tyrese Maxey to land Durant, but it could be worth it in order to have a superstar triumvirate of Durant, Harden and Joel Embiid.

Brooklyn's attempt at a big three of Durant, Harden and Kyrie Irving didn't work out like it hoped, as the Nets were knocked out in the second round of the playoffs in 2021, traded Harden to the 76ers during the 2021-22 season and then got swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.

Trading for Durant would likely be worth the risk for the Sixers, though, as they have been unable to get past the second round of the playoffs despite reaching the postseason in each of the past five campaigns.

Durant is an all-time great who is a two-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Finals MVP, and he is coming off a season in which he averaged 29.9 points per game at the age of 33.

Adding him to the reigning MVP runner-up in Embiid and a perennial All-Star and one-time NBA MVP in Harden would perhaps make the 76ers the scariest team in the Eastern Conference and a force to be reckoned with come playoff time if they could stay healthy.

The 1992 Dream Team and 2008 Redeem Team typically dominate the conversation about the greatest Team USA men's basketball team.

Kevin Durant apparently has a difference of opinion—albeit one he was only willing to share for a short amount of time.

Durant seemed ready to crown the 2012 team as the best of all time in a now-deleted tweet:

The USA Men's Basketball team won the gold medal in the 2012 Olympics 10 years ago today.

Kevin Durant tweeted and immediately deleted his take on that 2012 Olympic team 👀 pic.twitter.com/o4XuMNQrcc

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 12, 2022

In terms of pure domination, there's no question the Dream Team takes the cake. The United States obliterated the competition at the 1992 Olympics, winning every game by at least 32 points.

It's also worth noting that 11 of the 12 players on the Dream Team are currently in the Hall of Fame. Neither the 2008 roster nor the one four years later can say it boasts 11 future Hall of Famers.

That said, it's fair to wonder whether the 2008 or 2012 squads were actually better basketball teams than the 1992 counterpart. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were greatly diminished versions of themselves by the Dream Team era, and it's fair to point out the international competition was significantly easier in 1992 versus 16 or 20 years later.

As far as the debate between 2008 and 2012 goes, it'll likely depend on how you want to build a team. The 2008 squad was a Kobe Bryant outfit with versions of LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard that were great but still yet to reach their apex form. The team four years later featured arguably the best ever-version of James, along with Paul and Carmelo Anthony at the peak of their powers. Bryant took more of an elder statesman's role, while Durant blossomed as the team's leading scorer at age 23.

Given his 30-point masterpiece in the United States' gold medal win over Spain, it's easy to see why Durant might have a special place in his heart for the 2012 squad.

Despite being rumored as a potential trade candidate if the Boston Celtics make a move for Kevin Durant, Jaylen Brown doesn't seem like he's going to cause problems for his current team.

Per Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com, one rival executive said they believe Brown is "all-in" on the Celtics for the long-term if they want to keep him.

"From everything I’ve been told, Jaylen’s a loyal guy. I know frustration can happen when things aren’t going well, and I think we saw some of that earlier in this past season," the executive said.

Last month, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Celtics offered a package of Brown, Derrick White and a draft pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Durant.

Word of that offer seemed to get back to Brown, based on this Twitter response:

Smh

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) July 25, 2022

Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe reported earlier this week that the Nets asked for Brown and Jayson Tatum from the Celtics when the two teams were discussing a deal.

We've seen in the past in various sports where a player will seek a trade if they hear that their current team was seeking to replace them or move them in a deal that doesn't come to fruition.

Former NFL MVP Matt Ryan admitted on the Ryen Russillo Podcast (h/t Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk) in May that the Atlanta Falcons' pursuit of Deshaun Watson led to him looking at different opportunities that might be available.

Ryan was eventually traded to the Indianapolis Colts.

There are some significant differences between the situation with Ryan and Brown. The Falcons are in a rebuilding situation, and Ryan turned 37 on May 17. He found a situation that at least gives him a chance to compete for a playoff spot in 2022.

Brown is 25 years old and was the second-best player on a Celtics team that made it to the NBA Finals last season. It's not an insult to be the centerpiece player in a trade proposal for Durant, who is still arguably one of the five best NBA players.

The Celtics are also entering a period when they could be over the luxury-tax line for multiple years with this current nucleus. Tatum could potentially sign a five-year extension worth almost $300 million after next season.

Brown's situation is tricky for the organization because he signed a team-friendly extension worth $106 million over four years in October 2019. The former All-Star could sign another extension on Oct. 1, but the average annual value would only be 120 percent of his 2023-24 salary ($28.51 million).

If Brown waits to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024, he would be eligible for a full max extension.

The Celtics know they are capable of competing for an NBA title with Brown as a key piece of their roster. He was named to the All-Star team during the 2021-22 season and has averaged at least 20 points and six rebounds per game in each of the past three seasons.

The Cal alum was arguably Boston's best player in the Finals. He averaged 23.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in six games against the Golden State Warriors.

Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving has responded to the rumor that he wanted his new contract to include guarantees that he wouldn't have to play more than 60 games in a season and wouldn't have to play in any back-to-backs.

Irving responded to a tweet Thursday essentially saying that the rumor is "cap," meaning it's a lie.

pic.twitter.com/fT4gHtsHlS

— Kyrie🤞🏾 (@KyrieIrving) August 11, 2022

Irving also tweeted Thursday:

When you’re ready to Break free from the media’s control over your subconscious thoughts and emotions, meet me on One of my platforms and let’s chop it up.

We the A11Even tribe love our conversations about the TRUTH and what is truly happening.
Welcome to the
PARADIGM SHIFT♾

— Kyrie🤞🏾 (@KyrieIrving) August 11, 2022

He hasn't played more than 54 games in a season since joining the Nets in 2019.

During the 2019-20 campaign, Irving appeared in just 20 games before undergoing surgery on his injured shoulder and being ruled out for the remainder of the year. He then appeared in 54 of a possible 72 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.

Irving only appeared in 29 contests in 2021-22. While he was limited by some injuries, he missed many of Brooklyn's home games because of his unvaccinated status and New York City's vaccination mandate for indoor arenas, which wasn't lifted until around the end of the regular season.

Irving's future with the Nets has been up in the air since before he picked up his $36.9 million player option for the 2022-23 season.

The 30-year-old is being mentioned in trade rumors, primarily to the Los Angeles Lakers so he can rejoin former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James in the Purple and Gold.

In early July, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that the Lakers and Nets were in preliminary discussions about a trade involving Irving and Russell Westbrook and that there was "palpable optimism" a deal could be completed this summer.

However, The Athletic's Jovan Buha reported last week that talks between the Lakers and Nets have stalled and that the two sides likely won't resume discussions until Brooklyn moves Kevin Durant, who requested a trade at the end of June.

Even though he's being included in trade rumors, Irving is "in a good place with the Nets" and is "comfortable" entering the 2022-23 season, according to SNY's Ian Begley.

Still, with no contract extension in place, Irving could be playing elsewhere come 2023-24.

While Jaylen Brown's status with the Boston Celtics remains uncertain, the front office has reportedly remained transparent as they explore a trade for Kevin Durant.

Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe reported president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and coach Ime Udoka remain in communication with Brown "all the time" to keep him abreast of trade talks.

Brown is also reportedly understanding of the Celtics' pursuit, which is a bit of a surprise given his subtweet of the situation last month.

Smh

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) July 25, 2022

Brown is also reportedly understanding of the Celtics' pursuit, which is a bit of a surprise given his subtweet of the situation last month.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Celtics offered Brown, Derrick White and a future draft pick in exchange for Durant. The Nets countered by asking for Marcus Smart and multiple future draft picks along with Brown, an offer Boston declined.

Kurt Helin of NBC Sports reported the Celtics have also been resistant to give up center Robert Williams III, another potential defensive building block.

Brown has long been seen as the best young star the Nets could acquire for Durant, who requested a trade in June. Durant recently reiterated his desire to leave Brooklyn in a meeting with governor Joe Tsai, saying the team needed to fire coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks if Tsai wanted him to change his mind.

Tsai responded to the report on Twitter, making it clear he had no interest in acquiescing to Durant's demands.

Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.

— Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) August 8, 2022

Brown is no stranger to being on the trade block, having been bandied about in rumors for Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard in the past. It would be fair if Brown were a little fed up with the constant speculation and wanted an exit of his own. Brown has two years remaining on his contract and almost certainly will not sign an extension before hitting free agency, given he will be eligible to make more money if he allows his contract to expire.

Durant, by contrast, is under contract for four more seasons.

Rival executives reportedly believe Kevin Durant was trying to stir the pot by suggesting the only way for the Brooklyn Nets to keep him was by firing general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Monday that KD issued the ultimatum to Nets governor Joe Tsai over the weekend, which led to a Twitter post from Tsai on Monday night.

Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.

— Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) August 8, 2022

NBA insider Marc Stein provided an update to the situation Thursday:

There is a growing belief among rival teams that Durant knew when he issued that me-or-them ultimatum that Tsai had no intention of yielding to the request and firing Marks and Nash. One resultant theory that the Durant/Tsai meeting spawned is the idea KD has begun trying to manufacture as much behind-the-scenes discord as he can in hopes that it will lead the Nets to lower their asking price and trade him out of exasperation.

Durant trade talks have been sluggish since he requested a move in late June. While there's interest in the 12-time All-Star, the Nets have maintained a sky-high asking price.

Tsai and Co. have expressed in private conversations they will "take every last asset from a team that trades for Durant," per Charania.

So it wouldn't be a surprise if KD and his camp are exploring ways to tank his own value to help put pressure on Brooklyn's front office to make a deal, as Stein suggested.

Whether it'll work is a tough question to answer because Durant's side doesn't have a ton of leverage since he's just starting a four-year, $194.2 million contract.

The 33-year-old superstar could hold out to open training camp, but it's unclear whether he's willing to sacrifice any or all of his $42.9 million base salary for 2022-23 by sitting out once the regular season gets underway.

Charania reported the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors remain the teams with the most interest should the Nets' asking price begin to fall.

If a Durant trade is eventually found, it could start a whirlwind of movement not only for the Nets but the rest of the NBA, as well.

The trade market has come to a halt for two reasons: the Durant situation and the price paid by the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Utah Jazz for Rudy Gobert, which included four first-round draft picks and a pick swap.

In turn, the asking prices for the likes of KD and Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell are approaching "objectively nonsensical" levels that could lead to a moment where the trade market "collapses in on itself," per Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Meanwhile, dealing Durant would almost guarantee the Nets would also move on from Kyrie Irving, who's been heavily linked to the Los Angeles Lakers.

It creates a lot of intrigues and the league's balance of power could shift significantly over the next few months, but so far there's no sign a Durant blockbuster is imminent as the stare down continues in Brooklyn.

The Boston Celtics want Kevin Durant, and he apparently wants them back.

That said, Boston is driving a pretty hard bargain if it hopes to land the 12-time All-Star.

Kurt Helin of NBC Sports reported the Celtics are not making Robert Williams III available in trade talks with the Brooklyn Nets.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Nets have asked for Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and multiple draft picks in exchange for Durant. Boston's initial offer included Derrick White, Brown and a future draft pick.

The Celtics have been hesitant to include Smart, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, along with Brown in trade packages.

While Brown is likely the best centerpiece Brooklyn can expect in any trade, the Nets clearly have their eyes on starrier role players than White and more future draft-pick compensation.

Williams and Smart were the anchors of the world-beating defense that led the Celtics to an Eastern Conference championship last season. Smart became the first guard to win DPOY since Gary Payton in 1995-96, while Williams took a leap as an interior menace with the lateral quickness to adequately switch on pick-and-rolls.

The Celtics defense allowed 3.7 points more points per 100 possessions with Williams on the bench, and their defense was 1.5 points better with Smart on the floor, according to Basketball Reference. A defensive downturn was particularly noticeable when Williams missed time in the postseason, playing a part in the Celtics needing seven games to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat.

It's understandable that the Celtics would be hesitant to part with Williams or Smart; they're arguably the Eastern Conference favorite even without Durant.

That said, it's not particularly realistic. Brown, as great as he is, has never sniffed being an All- NBA player. He's six years into his career and may have topped out as good-but-not-great. Durant is a once-in-a-generation talent, even as he approaches age 34.

If the Celtics want to pull off the blockbuster, they will likely have to bend and include either Smart or Williams at some point.

Kyrie Irving reportedly sought contractual guarantees that he wouldn't have to make more than 60 appearances per season and could skip back-to-back games as part of his extension talks with the Brooklyn Nets.

Fox Sports' Ric Bucher reported details about the negotiations Wednesday on his On The Ball podcast (via HoopsHype).

"[Nets governor] Joe Tsai has already shown he's willing to play hardball with Kyrie by taking a max extension off the table almost immediately," Bucher said. "Now, part of that may be Kyrie's doing. I'm told he wanted his new contract to guarantee he wouldn't have to play more than 60 games in a season and would not have to play any back-to-backs, which he apparently referred to as inhumane."

Irving has only played more than 60 games once over the past five years. He was limited to 29 appearances during the 2021-22 season because he didn't become a full-time player until the final stages of the campaign.

The Nets initially announced the 30-year-old point guard wouldn't rejoin the roster until eligible to play in every game, which wasn't possible when the season started because he was unvaccinated against COVID-19, and New York City required vaccination for home-team athletes and performers.

He returned to the lineup in January as Brooklyn dealt with injuries and COVID-related absences, but he remained a part-time contributor until the NYC mandate was lifted in March.

After his return to full-time status, Irving confirmed he hoped to re-sign with the Nets.

"I signed up for this for the long run," he told reporters. "So I love this year. I'm grateful. It hasn't been a prototypical year. But when I look at my teammates and where we are as an organization, I'm looking for the long run."

Extension talks were sluggish early in the offseason, however, which led the seven-time All-Star to pick up the $36.9 million player option in his contract for 2022-23. He'll become an unrestricted free agent next offseason if the two sides don't agree to a new deal.

Meanwhile, he's become a popular name in the rumor mill regarding a possible trade. A reunion with LeBron James, this time with the Los Angeles Lakers after they won a championship together with the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been the most frequent link.

Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported last week that discussions between the Nets and Lakers are likely on hold until Brooklyn settles its Kevin Durant situation, though. Durant requested a trade in late June, but there's no sign a blockbuster move is imminent.

There are a lot of variables in play, and it's still possible the Nets keep both KD and Kyrie on the roster, though that could lead to another drama-filled year.

Looking ahead, whether the negotiations are with the Nets or another team, it'll be interesting to see how Irving's apparent request to take at least 25 percent of every season off will affect his next contract.